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Dribble, Dribble...Block You know it is officially basketball season in the ACC when the following takes place:
Both of these events took place on Saturday, and so rejoice ACC fans...your nightmare football season is over and you can now get back to rooting on your favorite Tobacco Road team. As for football, the ACC had four match-ups with SEC foes on Rivalry weekend....Vandy @ Wake.....Ga. Tech @ Georgia.....Florida @ FSU....and South Carolina @ Clemson. The Vandy-Wake game was the least desirable....and the 'Dores blew out the Deacs by 34 points. Ga. Tech is the Coastal division rep for the ACC, and they proved to be a glorified scrimmage for the Dawgs.....42-10 the final, and it wasn't that close. Remember, the Yellow Jackets recently put 68 points up against UNC, a team that finished 8-4 in the ACC. Florida hit the road to take on the ACC's top ranked team, Florida State....the Gators punished the Noles 37-26 with a display of nasty D and a physical run game. South Carolina also traveled to take on the ACC's only other "elite team", and the Cocks won by double digits for the 4th consecutive year....a feat that has happened only one other time way back in the early 50's. Four up, four down....the SEC outscored the ACC 161-74....it wasn't pretty for the ACC. But while all that was taking place, Coach K and his Blue Devils were down in the beautiful Bahamas taking care of business with their second win over the Bluegrass state.....first it was Kentucky in ATL....now it was Rick Pitino and his Cardinals. So not all is lost for John Swofford and his boys.....ACC hoops is ready to roll. Here's the problem: this week, the ACC-Big 10 Hoops Challenge takes place this week. The Big 10 has won the last 3 years after the ACC captured the first decade match-ups. The highlights will include UNC @ Indiana, NC State @ Michigan and Ohio State playing at Cameron Indoor. I have no idea if Maryland's game will count for or against the ACC.....I kid...but I'm sure it will be bizarre for the Terps when they hit the road in the ACC the next couple of years in all sports before they officially join the Big 10. I still think the Big 10 is better than the ACC this year....but we'll see how it plays out. I was the same fool who thought Florida State and Clemson would win their respective home SEC rivalry showdowns in football, too. How about some major props for the Charlotte Bobcats? It took all of a dozen games for the club to match last year's win total. I know that seems bizarre, but it's true. Nobody will forget the team's amazing 7-59 record last year, as they became the worst NBA team in history based on their winning percentage. After a dozen games, the team is now 7-5...I know it's early, but that is a great story. I'm not going to even bother with the "P" word....but just the fact that they are playing hard and winning close games is a good sign....and for the poor sports fans of Charlotte, a welcome relief. While the Bobcats are excited, let's not lose sight that the Washington Wizards are off to an 0-11 start....and this week they play San Antonio, Portland and the Knicks. I'm beginning to think that the Bobcats' record could be in jeopardy...and that would be fine with me. Nobody wants to live with that label...and that includes owner Michael Jordan. I had a great time in Kansas City last week for the College Basketball Hall of Fame event. It was a chance to rub elbows, talk with and interview the biggest names in college basketball history, and it was cool hosting the show for SiriusXM again from the College Basketball Experience in downtown KC. I had the chance to not only swallow whole some of the best BBQ on the planet, but I also attended the Bruce Springsteen concert with my boss Matt Fishman. One of the cool perks working with SiriusXM is that we have a "Bruce Springsteen Channel"...nothing like good seats and a backstage pre-concert party to get you in the mood. I've got to tell ya...even if you don't like the Boss....(I'm talking about Springsteen, not Fishman...by the way we all love working for "Fish").....the guy puts on an incredible show. He plays with so much passion that it inspires you to go for it with whatever you do for a living. The man performs like he's been told it's his last show forever. I absolutely loved the entire trip.....KC has great people and you know I loved the food. What it also has is one of the worst looking NFL teams in recent memory. Arrowhead Stadium is cool....and it has the reputation as one of the loudest venues in the NFL.....but not this year. The fans still tailgate with the best of them, but the product is abysmal.....and even folks in KC can find better things to do with their time than watch the Chiefs play. By the 4th quarter of last Sunday's game, the place was a ghost town....even Carolina Panther fans would ask...."where did everyone go?" It was really sad to see....the only reason I bring this up is because the Panthers travel to Kansas City to see the Chiefs this upcoming Sunday. Plenty of good seats are still available.....if you're making the trip.....I'd suggest going to Oklahoma Joe's for the BBQ combo instead. I have certainly given Danica Patrick plenty of grief this year. Ever since the most overhyped athlete on the planet decided to join NASCAR from the open-wheel series, there hasn't been a week that has gone by without her giving me some fodder. Between the continuous wrecks....the excuses....the non-stop commercials.....you name it, and Danica has provided it. I want to thank her for all of the good laughs and jokes this year. But now, I want to be serious.... I read last week where she and her husband of 7 years have decided to get divorced. That's unfortunate for all parties involved....I'm sure it's been tough and given the holiday season right around the corner, it probably doesn't make things any easier. Making a marriage work takes time and dedication....every couple goes through highs and lows and when things get rocky, you gotta find a way to get through it...but it takes two to make it work. I've seen too many friends go through the process and it disappoints me every time. I'm not going Dr. Phil on you, but I hope this unpleasant experience doesn't take Danica away from the sport in any capacity.....because I'm eagerly looking forward to the comic relief when she goes full-time in the Cup Series next year. |
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